110th Airlift Wing

The United States Air Force's 110th Airlift Wing is a unit located at W.K. Kellogg Regional Airport, Michigan.

Mission

Combat Power and Mission Support Serving the Community, State & Nation

History

The 110th Airlift Wing (110 AW), an Air Mobility Command (AMC)-gained unit of the Michigan Air National Guard (ANG) was established in 1947 at the W. K. Kellogg Regional Airport on the west side of Battle Creek, Michigan.^[1]

The 110th Airlift Wing traces its lineage through one of its component units, the 172nd Fighter Squadron, which passed final inspection and earned federal recognition on 16 September 1947. The 172nd FS was equipped with the North American F-51D Mustang. The base commander at the time was Captain Ross Norwood. Norwood - who advanced in rank to Lieutenant Colonel - oversaw the activation of the 172nd and its deployment to Selfridge Air Force Base during the latter stages of the Korean War in 1952.

When the 172nd returned to Battle Creek, it began the transition from prop to jet, exchanging its Mustangs for F-86 Sabres, which flew from 1954 to 1955, when they were replaced by F-89 Scorpions.

In 1956, the 110th Fighter Group was organized as part of the new force structure being adopted across the nation. The 172nd remained the only flying squadron, but now it was joined by the 110th Air Base Squadron, the 110th Materiel Squadron and the 110th Infirmary. In 1957, the 110th received a new aircraft, the RB-57 Canberra, and a new mission - tactical reconnaissance. The resulting reorganization cost the 110th Fighter Group 40 percent of its manpower and its name - the group was deactivated and the 172nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron once again became Battle Creek's primary Air National Guard unit. A second non-flying squadron, the 172nd Reconnaissance Technical Squadron helped prevent the loss of additional Guard members.

In 1962, the 110th Tactical Reconnaissance Group was reactivated with Major Howard Strand serving as its commander. Major Strand departed in January 1965 to become deputy commander of the 127th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Selfridge, but he returned again in 1974 to lead the 110th until 1981.

The 172nd flew Canberras until 1971, when it undertook the radical and unexpected transformation from the RB-57 jets to the smaller, prop-powered Cessna O-2 Skymaster. On 11 June 1971, the 110th Tactical Reconnaissance Group became the 110th Tactical Air Support Group. In 1980, the 110th saw a return to jet power in the form of the OA-37 Dragonfly.

In 1991 the 110th Tactical Air Support Group transitioned from the Dragonfly to the OA-10 Thunderbolt II, and was redesignated 110th Tactical Fighter Group.In June 1995 the 110th Fighter Group became the 110th Fighter Wing.

In 1997 the wing took part in Operation Deny Flight. The 110th Fighter Wing had service in both Iraq and Afghanistan, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

The 110th Fighter Wing underwent a major transition moving from the A-10 aircraft to the Learjet C-21A aircraft in 2008. The C-21, which arrived in October 2008, is a twin turbofan engine passenger aircraft, the military version of the Lear Jet 35A. With a crew of two, it can accommodate eight passengers and 42 cubic feet (1,200 L) of cargo. For aero medical evacuations, it can carry one little litter or five ambulatory patients plus one flight nurse and two medical technicians. The base also witnessed the creation of a new unit, the 110th Air Operations Group on 1 April 2009. The 110th AOG is an organizational structure to support the 17th Air Force (AFAFRICA). The 110th AOG has five squadrons that include medical, communications, logistics, operations and planning in a largely self-contained package. The 110th Fighter Wing was re-designated as the 110th Airlift Wing with no change in station. It changed from an Air Combat Command unit to an Air Mobility Command unit on 1 December 2009.^[2]

Assignments

Major Command/Gaining Command

• Air National Guard/Air Mobility Command (1 December 2009–present)
• Air National Guard/Air Combat Command (1 June 1992–1 December 2009)
• Air National Guard/Tactical Air Command (???-1 June 1992)

Previous designations

• 110th Airlift Wing (2009–Present)
• 110th Fighter Wing (1995–2009)
• 110th Fighter Group (1992–1995)
• 110th Tactical Fighter Group (???-1 June 1992)

Units assigned

• 110th Operations Group
  • 172nd Airlift Squadron (1947–Present)
• 110th Mission Support Group
  • 110th Civil Engineer Squadron
  • 110th Communications Flight
  • 110th Logistics Readiness Squadron
  • 110th Mission Support Flight
  • 110th Security Forces Squadron
  • 110th Services Flight
• 110th Medical Group
• 110th Maintenance Group
  • 110th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
  • 110th Maintenance Squadron
  • 110th Maintenance Operations Flight

Bases stationed

• W.K. Kellogg Regional Airport, Michigan (1947–Present)

Aircraft & Missiles Operated^[3]

• C-21 (2009–Present)
• A-10A Thunderbolt II (1991–2009)
• OA-10A Thunderbolt II (1991–2009)
• OA-37B Dragonfly (1981–1991)
• O-2A Skymaster (1971–1981)
• RB-57 Canberra (1957–1971)
• F-89C Scorpion (1955–1957)
• F-86E Sabre (1954–1955)
• P-51H Mustang (1951–1954)
• P-51D Mustang (1947–1951)

References

1. ^ 110th Fighter Wing [110th FW]
2. ^ http://www.110aw.ang.af.mil/history/index.asp
3. ^ World Airpower Journal. (1992). US Air Force Air Power Directory. Aerospace Publishing: London, UK. ISBN 1-880588-01-3

External links

• 110th Airlift Wing Official Website